The Chains are Never Broken
by Maeve.Pendergast
Summary: Two chapters about the emotions that were stirred on Kadavo.
1. I

And then it happened, as sudden as a blaster bolt and just as painful. Trapdoor under innocent Togruta after innocent Togruta opened and he felt it. He felt each swell of terror that threatened to make him fall to his knees but he remained standing, knowing that showing a weakness would just lead to more pain. Then sorrow as those sentenced realised their fate, then peace, as they crossed the barrier between denying and accepting, and they _were_ at peace but the Jedi who watched was not. He felt each one of their deaths like another blade to the heart, another twist of the knife to an already burdened soul. He heard their screams pierce through the air and etch themselves in his mind. He heard those cries over and over again. His soul felt heavier than it ever had as though the Force itself was pressing down upon his chest.

And Rex stood there, as still as a statue, and as silent as sentinel. He watched innocent people slaughtered but he saw that everyday as his brothers were struck down. He still felt sorrow and pain for them as any being with compassion would but what hurt him more than that was watching his general, companion, best friend, and brother break down, physically and mentally with each scream. As best he could with the stun cuffs on, he stood behind his general and pressed an arm up against the wilting Jedi providing whatever stable support he could. Even just to mean that he was there. He'd _always_ be there. Obi-Wan stiffened at the sudden pressure before relaxing ever so slightly. Rex had seen worlds ravaged by war and people wiped out by plague and every time his general stood steadfast, his beryl eyes as hard as crystal but Rex knew better. He knew that every time deep down inside, his general was mourning, weeping for their lives and the darkening future. But here, on Kadavo, in this hell-hole, his brother finally gave in. He'd seen it happen to the best soldiers, Force it had even happened to him, but to the Jedi? They were supposed to be the leaders, the immortal ones, the constant fighters but people forget far too often that they are still beings. Yes, they possess incredible abilities and are some of the smartest and wisest people but they still have emotions and they still have limits. The war raged on and with it came death. Even the Jedi began to perish. And as more and more of the generals and commanders were struck down, those remaining were pushed even farther. It was a wonder that Skywalker, Kenobi, and Tano had not collapsed completely by now.

 _When they had been on the cruiser just before their mission to Zygerria, General Kenobi had stumbled and fallen face to the floor. Rex had run up to him to help him back to his feet. There was a mumbled 'Thanks, Rex' and a weak smile. He managed to make it to a chair and Rex sat across from him checking him over for anything wrong. Rex couldn't see any injures but what had really frightened Rex was the general's eyes. Dull, red-rimmed, and sunken in dark circles on an already pale face, the normal blue almost white. A question from captain to general, "Are you alright, sir?" And then the most terrible answer Rex could have ever imagined, "No…" a pause, a shaky inhale, and breathy sob. "No, Rex I'm not. The entire 641st, 756th, 332nd, 195th, and 289th squadrons along with Masters Rainwar, Murali, Orestos, Atse, Sahan, Tuo, Baelzadi, and their padawans were all lost on Ietera. They had been fighting for 9 days straight with no support. They were all alone. The padawans were the last ones standing. They watched everybody else die for them. And then they were left. Scared, alone. Imagine what they felt? The sorrow, the pain, the sheer agony? 5 padawans, Force they were barely even padawans; 5 innocent children, slaughtered. We failed them, Rex. We let 5 incredibly bright souls with long and beautiful futures die. We let all of them die because we couldn't spare any kriffing troops. Not even one air squadron. 262 people dead because we were too busy somewhere else to care. What happened to us? What happened to us supporting each other? It's been 3 weeks since I've been able to sleep, since I've been able to eat, since I've been able to breathe. I've been to 18 planets in 21 days, I've been in battle 20 of those 21 days. I just want this war to end before anyone else dies."_

Rex had been stunned. Kenobi had been fighting for 3 weeks straight and he had not collapsed. It was only a matter of time. When they had heard of the mission to Zygerria, Rex could see that there was no way they were getting out unscathed, especially General Skywalker. All the Clones in the 501st knew his secret, Skywalker had been a slave for the first 9 years of his life before Kenobi and his master Jinn had rescued the boy. The past haunted him, in the corners of his mind and the shadows of his eyes. Rex thought the Jedi Council had finally lost it, sending Skywalker undercover as a slaver. It was asking for failure.

A pained cry brought the Clone Captain back to the chains and the agony of Kadavo. His general's face was turned down, a loose tuft of auburn hair falling in front, a single gleaming tear sliding down his cheekbones.

Kadavo had taken another victim. But this victim did not die, this victim was forced to live; forced to live in agony as his spirit was broken. The great Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi was broken, cracked, fractured. But he had always been like that, ever since that day on Naboo. He was crudely patched together with hope but eventually that hope fades and the pieces fall apart again.

 ** _Only the dead have seen the end of war._**


	2. II

_"Beg! Beg me, before this one dies."_

 _Forgive me, Master._

Obi-Wan fought the urge to vomit. How dare they slander that name, how dare they take a name that once was synonymous with Father and turn into a term of submission, of pain, of torture. That word, _Master,_ is Qui-Gon's word. Not this slaver scum's. That word is kind, compassionate, clever, strong, tall, steadfast, _loved_. These slavers, these monsters, make this word tormenting, shattering, crippling. Qui-Gon is dead because of me. And I will carry that guilt for the rest of my life but I will never, never let them taint his memory. He was my mentor, kriff, he was my _father._ No backwater scum could ever change the image of him I carry in my heart. I will kill every slaver in the galaxy before I let them do that.

Master means father, nothing more. You only have one father. And mine died in my arms long ago.

 _You can beat me, you can hurt me, you can break me. But don't you dare ever touch him._

Rex, the ever present gravity that pulled Obi-Wan back to sanity, watched his general's face shatter. He already knew the soul held within that muscled body was shattered but for the first time, it had reached past all those Jedi safeguards to the man's face. He saw the man's throat constrict as he forced the word out, _Master_. It looked like he almost wanted to vomit. And then the anger. Flames licked at the edge of his eyes. The spite was palpable, Force ability or not. The great negotiator looked about ready to strangle the scum. And Rex couldn't blame him. There was something much deeper than just the slavery bubbling under the Jedi's skin. Rex knew that the word 'Master' was a term the Jedi used, and despite Skywalker's disagreements, Ahsoka still called him it. But this was something more. Something deeper than just a word. Nobody knew much about General Kenobi's background. All the clones knew was that he was a Jedi since a young age unlike General Skywalker. Skywalker had mentioned something when they were on Naboo, something about how Naboo had left a permanent bitter taste in Kenobi's mouth, how it would always bring Kenobi sorrow. But he would never show it. Only those who truly knew him could see it.

"Jedi only make things worse."

And there it was. The final blow.

 _Broken things can only be patched a certain number of times before they crumble completely._


End file.
